LEWISTON — During an interview about what the job of a police officer is like, Lewiston police officer Joseph Philippon answered questions about himself. He’s 30 and grew up in Lewiston. He’s not married, but will be soon — he’s engaged. He’s the only child of Roger and Celeste Philippon. Well, sort of. These days, […]
reporters notebook
Posted inRiver Valley
Reporter’s Notebook
Fun with Roman numerals RUMFORD — At the end of a long day Tuesday, Chris Brennick had trouble with Roman numerals while co-chairing the Charter Commission meeting. The commission is tasked with going through the town charter and making revisions to bring before voters. All 25 articles of the 1951 document are denoted by Roman […]
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Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Fountain of youth
BETHEL — To escape the heat from 80-degree temperatures on July 19 at the MollyOckett Days festival, several children climbed into the Common’s fountain. They merrily splashed each other, danced and shouted in glee while getting thoroughly soaked as parents watched or socialized with other adults nearby. One child, Emily Reed, 8, of South Paris, […]
Posted inOxford Hills, The Franklin Journal
Reporters notebook: Out of the mouths of babes
NORWAY — Asking a small child questions about fishing is like opening a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get for an answer. Six-year-old Dominic Baughman of Harrison walked toward me on May 31 at the debut Norway Family Fishing Festival. He was proudly carrying his festival limit from Lake Pennesseewassee Stream on […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Reporters notebook: Reader to reporter, ‘Stick to newspapers’
LEWISTON — Recently, I interviewed Rosaire “Rosie” LaFontaine, who graduated from Edward Little High School 75 years ago with the Class of 1939. The story is scheduled to run early this week. At age 93, LaFontaine is sharp and has a good sense of humor — and he’s blunt. He told me he was happy […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Reporters’ notebook
Twenty years younger in three seconds Last Saturday, the Woman’s Literary Union of Androscoggin County held the “Fairy Godmother Prom Gown Giveaway” to help high school girls having trouble affording their prom dress. Over 50 teenagers got to choose from 225 new and gently-used gowns in Foss Mansion in Auburn. I covered the giveaway for […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Reporters notebook: When is a cut a cut?
AUBURN — Oh the drama of budget talks. It might challenge math and English teachers in deciding what’s a cut, what’s a reduction and what are semantics. Take the March 26 meeting of the Auburn School Committee, where member Ron Potvin was the lone voice pushing for no more than a 3 percent increase in […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, The Franklin Journal
Reporter’s notebook: Road trip to Tennessee, NYC unforgettable
DIXFIELD — Spending a week and a half on a tour bus and in a Tennessee hotel with country music performers from across the nation and Canada was a great experience for Rumford nurse Mandy Bither Jordan and her 17-year-old daughter, Melanie Jordan. And the road trip to states and places they’d never been to was […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Reporters notebook: Webster called a snow day
LEWISTON — It finally happened on that epic Wednesday morning, Feb. 5, 2014. Bill Webster — the superintendent who camps at Baxter in the winter, who has been known to say, “This is Maine; it snows. Get out of bed and get to school” — relented and called a snow day. He had his doubters. […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, The Franklin Journal
Reporter’s notebook: Speaking ‘in the 2nd whitest state, to white men playing jazz’
Organizers of Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Bates College tried to get historian Gary Younge to speak at last year’s MLK Day, but there was a scheduling conflict. Younge, who writes for the British newspaper “The Guardian,” was covering Barack Obama’s inauguration. This year, Younge was at Bates, and said he was grateful for […]